I have been looking for this article and this possibility for years: “How can I tackle & reverse the destructive heavy metal Chemtrail destruction of my garden so that organic gardening becomes a possibility again” – HM
If you have thought your whole life that mushrooms were a tasty but relatively unimportant vegetable that you could find in the produce aisle, then we have a pleasant surprise for you: mushrooms have the ability to break down and absorb some of the most toxic human-produced waste products via mycoremediation!
Source: REAL MUSHROOMS: Written by Melanie – Updated: June 17, 2024
In this article:
Mycoremediation of the environment AND the human body
Mycoremediation can save us from ourselves
Myco-whaaaaat?
How do fungi have this cleansing power? Sanitizing polluted water with fungi
Soil Mycoremediation: eliminating heavy metals and petroleum waste
Degrading plastics and other human waste
Reforestation through Mycoremediation
Improving crop yields and eliminating pesticides
Chernobyl reversed: fungi feed on radiation
Fungal alternatives to toxic consumer products
Antibiotics for humans and the planet
Reference list: Mushrooms and what they break down
Mycoremediation can save us from ourselves
The highly absorbent nature of fungi and their mycelial “root systems” support ecosystems by absorbing nutrients from the plant matter they break down and redistributing them to other plants and trees. The natural function of fungi as super-powerful decomposers and nutrient distributors has served as the backbone of almost all ecosystems.
If this sounds radical, consider their origins. For instance, fungi originated hundreds of millions of years before plants on land. One of the enzymes produced by fungi, oxalic acid, is thought to be the catalyst for the breakdown of minerals and rocks that became the calcium-rich soil in which plants grow ( 23 ).
Because they consume substances that are difficult to break down, fungi are an ideal source to turn to for solutions to the problem of human waste and pollution.
Fungi existed long before us (about a billion years) and have adapted to every conceivable environment. For example, many fungi developed the ability to live without sunlight (something plants cannot yet do). This was an adaptive response that occurred 65 million years ago after a massive asteroid struck Earth and the resulting dust cloud obscured sunlight ( 23 ). As we will discover, the highly adaptable nature of fungi also makes them ideal agents for healing the environment.
These unique creatures may hold the key to undoing the massive destruction humans have wreaked on our planet. By utilizing their natural powers of absorption, decomposition, and adaptation, mushrooms can help us restore this beautiful planet through mycoremediation.
Myco-whaaaaat?
Mycoremediation is “the use of fungi and mushrooms (the fruiting body of fungi) for removing waste from the environment ( 1 ).”
“Clean technology” is a trendy concept in modern times, in which awareness of climate change and environmental destruction is permeating our human consciousness. It is an attempt to “maximize production while simultaneously reducing waste production, treatment, and conversion of waste into a usable form ( 1 ).”
It just so happens that the concept of waste conversion has been in the consciousness of Kingdom Fungi for a billion years – in a sense, they are the “OG” recyclers of the earth. Mycoremediation is the reason that forests are lush and beautiful instead of full of piles of dead animals and pieces of decaying natural shards.
In fact, we can use a variety of mushrooms to combat the massive human waste that is degrading the condition of our earth and atmosphere. By letting mycoremediation work its enzymatic magic on a variety of human-caused pollutants and byproducts, we can tap into a billion-year-old solution to naturally break down waste into harmless and even USEFUL materials.
How do fungi possess this cleansing power?
In nature, fungi and their mycelium-based networks (the “root” structure) are the reason our forests can constantly regenerate without human interaction. Have you ever noticed how abandoned buildings and old sidewalks somehow change when left undisturbed? Over time, you can see life extending through the cracks in the bricks, moss spreading along the sides of concrete walls. The symbiotic relationship plants have with mushrooms enables them to thrive and continue regenerating, even when massive destruction of the natural ecosystem has occurred.
Fungi work by breaking down organic material from plants and wood. However, we are increasingly discovering that they can break down much more. The process of natural decomposition works via enzymatic reactions. These enzymes include peroxidases, liginases, cellulases, pectinases, xylanases, and oxidases, all of which are masters at breaking things down (enzymes ending in “-ase” usually mean “break down.” That is to say, ‘lipases’ break down lipids, etc.).
Such enzymes are inherent byproducts of fungi and have enormous implications for cleaning up the pollution we have left behind. As mycelium spreads, it secretes these enzymes that can break down pollution. Fungi are the recyclers of the forest from day one; they break down organic plant and wood material.
Fungi have existed long before us, and they offer a natural and specially adapted form of intervention to reverse the impact of human waste. So, without further ado, here are 8 ways mycoremediation can break down pollution and sanitize our ecosystems. 1. Sanitizing contaminated water with fungi
Humans cannot exist without water. It follows, therefore, that a lack of access to clean water can keep people in poverty because it hinders development. There are currently 785 million people (1 in 10) worldwide who do not have access to clean water. Additionally, 2 billion people live without the means for adequate sanitation, a large proportion of whom depend on access to clean and safe water ( 24 ). However, the problem of clean water is not limited to developing countries alone.
Urban cities where people regularly consume clean drinking water are also affected by the quality of their H2O. In fact, instances of lead or other contaminants in drinking water are not uncommon in North American tap water.
Mycoremediation exists as a subclass of bioremediation: using microorganisms to break down contaminants by using them as a food source. Mycofiltration is a type of bioremediation that can help keep water sources clean by using fungi to break down contaminants in the water before they can reach larger bodies of water.
Mycoremediation of water sources: 3 examples
- Removing E. coli from the Chicago River
One specific mushroom, the oyster mushroom or Pleurotus ostreatus, has been shown to purify water through its ability to remove contaminants from both water and soil ( 25 ). One laboratory study attempted to analyze mycoremediation in efforts to combat pollution of the Chicago River water that has been accumulating since the 1700s. Oyster mushroom mycelia were used against E. coli-inoculated water produced in a laboratory, and directly from the Chicago River, with respective rates of 99.25% and 99.74% of E. coli removal over a 96-hour period ( 28 ). 2. Filtering agricultural runoff
Farm polluted runoff is now being addressed using fungal filters, a mycelium network that functions as both a microfiltration system and simultaneously releases enzymes that break down toxic contaminants ( 29 ). - Cleaning up toxic ash from water sources in California
Related to water pollution is the environmental problem of wildfires. Studies conducted by mycoremediation organization CoRenewal analyzed toxic ash residues that accumulated in water bodies from the California wildfires and developed solutions to remediate both the soil and the affected waterways. The chemical composition of toxic ash observed from the wildfires contained harmful amounts of asbestos, lead, arsenic, and plastic. By installing hay bales filled with oyster fungus mycelium, these heavy metals, harmful polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and even TNT could be removed from water sources before they could reach the more publicly accessible water collections ( 32 ). 2. Soil Mycoremediation: Eliminating Heavy Metals and Petroleum Waste
Just as what goes up must come down, what we put into the earth comes out. As a result of industrialization, our soils have become contaminated with heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, nickel, chromium, arsenic, selenium, and a number of others ( 16 ). Harmful toxins that break down in the soil eventually return to us, via plants, animals, or other aspects of the food chain.
There is a process called biosorption, in which biological materials are used as toxin absorbers. As mentioned above, the Pleurotus species (to which oyster mushrooms belong) has an incredible ability to absorb heavy metals and other petroleum waste in the soil, largely due to the large amount of mycelium it produces compared to other species. This larger amount of biomass gives it a larger surface area to collect heavy metals from the soil. These mycelial networks are essentially a highway, allowing toxins to accumulate and localize along the path, where they are subsequently broken down or converted by fungal enzymes into other, less toxic compounds ( 32 ).
This mycelium “highway” is also very helpful in terms of resource movement. For instance, nutrients can be transported from the mycelium to the plant roots with which it comes into contact, giving a boost to life for the botanical organisms it interacts with.
Although humans have discovered certain methods to date to break down what was previously considered “non-biodegradable,” our methodologies pale in comparison to the natural technology of mycoremediation. Previously developed processes were too slow, too expensive, or inefficient. However, by using biosorption, heavy metals can be extracted from the soil, analyzed as a bio-indicator of which toxins are present, and passively converted on the surface of a biosorbent material—in this case, mycelium and their mushrooms.
3 examples of soil mycoremediation
- Removal of plastic-related pollutants
Mycoremediation is relevant to the solution of soil contamination, as demonstrated by researcher Savannah Volkoff, Ph.D. of the Duke Research Center. Her mycoremediation approach utilized biostimulation, a process in which current, native species are stimulated through targeted analysis. She specifically used gene sequencing to develop a test that scans fungal ecosystems for beneficial bioremediating species in contaminated soils.
She specifically identified fungal species that would decontaminate soil containing PAHs (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons). This ubiquitous pollutant is released as a byproduct of plastic production and can cause a wide range of adverse health problems in humans, including cancer ( 27 ).
She used available ecological information to determine which fungi from the soil the composition of the area would be most useful for absorbing toxins such as PAHs. Finally, she applied the appropriate substrate to stimulate the proliferative growth of the already existing, native fungi in the soil ( 33 ).
What she proposed essentially amounted to using fungal sources known to break down toxins that are already present and occur naturally in the area. Their spread had to be stimulated by feeding them with the appropriate substrate. This would accelerate their growth and thus their bioremediation capacity.
Remediation of diesel-contaminated fields
In collaboration with Battelle Laboratories, Paul Stamets was able to demonstrate the soil-remediing power of mycelium to create a thriving ecosystem from a field that had previously been contaminated with diesel. Multiple fields full of oil contamination were tested, each with a different approach to remediation efforts. The field inoculated with oyster mushroom spores later turned out to be the only field that was still standing, so to speak. Of all the plots, it had biologically degraded the most toxic oil and replaced what was once a polluted wasteland with a thriving ecosystem. This experiment reduced the soil’s PAH content (the concentration of this often carcinogenic aromatic hydrocarbon) from 10,000 parts per million (ppm) to less than 200 ppm in eight weeks ( 23). 3. Eliminating Waste from Bitumen Mines
Finally, a recent mycoremediation invention by 22-year-old Kelcie Miller-Anderson could change the oil and gas industry and the issue of toxic tailing ponds forever. Tailings are segregated storage ponds into which industrial waste from bitumen mines is dumped. Every barrel of bitumen extracted from tar sands results in 1.5 barrels of tailing waste, and this waste requires unlimited storage ( 48 ). Meanwhile, tailing water and its contaminants can leak into the surrounding soil and potentially contaminate groundwater and harm animals in the vicinity of the pond.
Miller-Anderson developed the MycoMat, a roll-out mat inoculated with oyster mushroom mycelium. This can then be rolled out onto waste ponds or the surrounding soil. The fungi release powerful enzymes that make a meal of harmful hydrocarbons. Initial test results indicate that the fungi can digest and eliminate hydrocarbons in contaminated soil in just 21 days. Furthermore, the mats themselves are fully biodegradable.
Mycoremediation has hopeful implications for developing countries, where people are heavily dependent on agricultural products but the soil is being destroyed and rendered unsuitable for the production of edible food ( 15 ). It also has hopeful implications here at home, where our society runs on fossil fuels that we pump out more than we bioremediate.
- Degrading plastics and other human waste
Even if we were to stop making plastic products today, the amount of non-biodegradable plastic waste would still be monumental. In 2016, Planet Earth pumped out 242 million tonnes of plastic waste ( 26 ). A low-waste lifestyle and minimizing single-use plastics can help slow our production, but what should we do with the mess we have already created? In short, we bioremediate. Plastics wreak havoc on our environment throughout their entire lifespan. The extraction and transport of fossil fuels used to make plastics alone emit an estimated 12.5 to 13.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year ( 34 ).
Plastic is often single-use and therefore has a short lifespan. So what happens when plastic is ready to be thrown away? In developed countries, it is recycled, dumped in a landfill, or, in the worst case, burned ( 34 ).
Incineration is the most harmful step in the plastic lifecycle for the environment. In 2015, the US emitted 5.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from plastic incineration. And if plastic incineration rates continue to rise, greenhouse gas emissions will reach 49 million tonnes by 2030 ( 34 ).
Studies estimate that one-third of all plastic waste ends up in our soil or fresh water. Most of these plastics break down into particles smaller than 5 millimeters, called microplastics. These particles can break down even smaller into nanoparticles (smaller than 0.1 micrometers) ( 35 ).
Because these plastic particles are so small and numerous, they can easily end up in our water and food sources. Fish ingest plastic by swimming in waters full of microplastics, which in turn enter our bodies when we eat seafood. Microplastics have also been found in salt, sugar, and beer. It is estimated that microplastics can be found in all terrestrial organisms ( 35 ).
These plastic particles contain an abundance of toxic substances, including BPA, an endocrine disruptor. Furthermore, PAHs (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons) released as a byproduct of plastic production can cause a wide range of harmful medical conditions in humans, of which cancer is perhaps the most common ( 27 ).
But what makes plastic even more harmful is that it can attract and bind other toxic substances, including lead, PCBs, and pesticides. Researchers suggest that all this poison harmful substances from degrading plastics can leak into their environment. Whether that is soil, water or living tissue ( 36 ).
4 Species of Fungi for Cleaning Up Plastic-Related Pollution
Mycoremediation offers hope for combating the environmentally harmful implications of plastic. For example, certain fungi play an important role in how effectively forests can absorb carbon dioxide, the gas released when plastic is burned. Researchers have found that forests with a high population of a root fungus called ectomycorrhizal fungus absorb CO2 emissions more quickly ( 37 ).
Several species of fungi from the Kingdom have now been identified that can break down plastics and PAHs, including Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushroom) ( 1,4 ), Trametes Versicolor (turkey tail) ( 9 ), and Lentinula edodes (shiitake) ( 5 ).
- Oyster mushroom
In one study, researchers used oyster mushrooms to break down oxo-biodegradable (D2W) plastic, a material often used to make grocery bags. The mushrooms demonstrated their mycoremediation capabilities within 45 days. They even degraded the synthetic dye found on the bags ( 4 ). Synthetic dyes are another major environmental pollutant, and oyster mushrooms have proven to be one of the most effective fungal species for breaking them down ( 51 ). - Turkey Tail
Turkey tail fungi (Trametes Versicolor ) have proven their versatility and ease of use when it comes to mycoremediation of PAH-contaminated soil. They can not only break down a wide variety of PAHs but also their metabolites. In other words, turkey tail fungi will completely devour plastic contaminants, leaving only benign byproducts of their feast behind. This fungus will multiply and work even under non-sterile conditions, making its application in bioremediation relatively simple ( 50 ). 3. Shiitake
When activated with vanillin, shiitake mushrooms can effectively break down an environmentally hazardous compound called 2,4-dichlorophenol (DCP). DCP is a ubiquitous environmental pollutant categorized by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USA) as a priority pollutant, which has harmful health effects on humans and wildlife. On their own, shiitake mushrooms can break down 15% of DCP within 24–28 days. When activated with vanillin, it eliminates 92% of DCP within the same time ( 5 ). - White rot fungus
A type of white rot fungus called Phanerochaete chrysosporium can effectively break down phenolic compounds and man-made plastics, as seen in the photo below. What remains after the mycelium has consumed the hydrocarbons of the plastic is biomatter that can be safely disposed of.
Burying the remains of the spoon in the ground will, in fact, help to multiply this mycelium. As will be discussed in the next section on the mycoremediation of forests, the propagation of mycelium networks is beneficial to the environment.
This is partly the reason why the study of mycoremediation is so relevant and is coming to the forefront of modern science. In a world where we are working on a ticking clock to save the planet we live on before we can destroy it, mycoremediation may well be one of our greatest hopes, because it is natural and multifunctional.
Reforestation by Mycoremediation
Mushrooms have a fascinating history of forming symbiotic relationships with plants. In fact, Kingdom Fungi are believed to be a primary factor enabling plants to move from aquatic to terrestrial life. Modern research has confirmed that 90% of terrestrial vascular plants live in a symbiotic relationship with mycorrhizal fungi ( 31 ).
When living in a symbiotic relationship, mushroom mycelium can intertwine with plant roots, which helps distribute water and nutrients to the plant and protects the roots both physically and chemically against infections and diseases. The largest mushroom species on Earth is only 1 cell wall thick, yet has somehow escaped deadly pathogens and bacterial infections for millennia.
Fungi may well be one of our most powerful natural antibiotic weapons, including protecting forest plants from infection ( 19 ). In return, the plants can transfer carbohydrates produced by photosynthesis, which the mycelium readily consumes for sustenance. For this reason, native mushroom species can be strategically planted to accelerate reforestation efforts in areas previously devastated by deforestation in a process called mycoforestry.
By bringing saprophytic (wood-eating) fungi into close contact with dead wood, we can activate the forest’s immune system and create nutrient-rich soil in which new plants and trees can grow and thrive.
Wood chips can be used to stimulate the growth of mycelial networks: they increase the surface area available for mycelia to be absorbed. By using mycoforestry practices, we can help restore our forests and lands that have been devastated by deforestation ( 19 ).
Furthermore, certain species of fungi have been shown to attract insects with larvae that serve as food for fish and birds. By stimulating the spread of fungi, we help maintain a robust and healthy ecosystem. 5. Improving crop yields and eliminating pesticides
Just as a placenta nourishes a growing fetus, mycelium nourishes mushrooms. It also has a multidirectional relationship with plant root systems, soil composition, and nearly all living creatures with which they come into contact. In short, mycelium is the silent protector of the forest and has the power to give the pesticide industry a run for its money ( 23 ).
If you have ever bought fresh produce at a supermarket, you may know that in North America it is common to wash your produce before eating it. This is to prevent ingesting pesticides that have been sprayed on the growing plants in an attempt to keep pests away. Synthetic pesticides can contain an abundance of toxic chemicals that can cause serious harm to organisms and the environment ( 38 ). Therefore, many researchers are turning to fungi as a solution for a non-toxic biopesticide. There are about 1,000 known species of entomopathogenic fungi, the type of fungi that kill or eliminate pests. Combined, they prey on most, if not all, agricultural pests ( 39 ).
3 types of fungal biopesticides
- Beauveria bassiana
One of the most popular fungal biopesticides used is Beauveria bassiana, a species of fungus that grows in soil all over the world. Beauveria bassiana effectively infects weevils, Colorado beetles, mites, and other pests with a disease called white muscardine. After the insect is killed, the fungus continues to produce and release new infectious spores into the environment ( 40). This fungus is a promising and healthy replacement for chemical crop protection agents. - Metarhium
Metarhizium is a species of fungus known to infect a wide range of arthropods, such as beetles, ticks, and ants. When Metarhizium spores come into contact with an arthropod, they stick to its exoskeleton and then spread to other arthropods with which they come into contact. The spores germinate and feed on the arthropods, causing them to lose their nutrients. Metarhizium is also known to produce compounds that are toxic to arthropods. These toxins are thought to suppress the host’s immune defenses and aid in killing them. Like Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium can reproduce and release spores into its environment after its host dies ( 41,42 ).
Paul Stamets gave a TED talk in which he described how he used a non-spore-forming variant of the fungus Metarhizium to attract carpenter ants.
The ants carry the fungi to their queen, and within a few days, his house, which had previously been devastated by carpenter ants, was completely free of the pest. Not only were these entomopathogenic fungi able to help him get rid of his carpenter ant problem, but when the mushrooms emerged from these mummified ant bodies, the house also became a deadly spot for termite, fire ant, or carpenter ant infestations ( 23 ). This is one of many examples of how mycelium acts as a natural and safer alternative to chemical pesticides.
- Cordyceps
Discoveries in this area are not only enticing for mycoremediation, but also because of their potential benefits for humans. Cordyceps is another fungal species known to be an entomopathogenic (insecticidal) species. In a field study, cordyceps was able to infect 80% of coconut root larvae, a pest that damages the roots of coconut palms and other crops ( 43 ).
Not only can it keep pests at bay, but human studies have shown that Cordyceps is a powerful nootropic with cognitive benefits for the human brain ( 44 ). This could help avoid the use of chemical pesticides while simultaneously improving our own human health and cognition. To go a step further, mycorrhizal fungi can improve crop yields, convert pesticides and herbicides into less harmful compounds, and even remove heavy metals from sites previously contaminated with chemicals ( 44,45 ).
- Chernobyl reversed: fungi feed on radiation
Fungi not only feed on rotting wood, remove toxins from soil and water, and solve our pesticide problem, but they can also contribute to eliminating some of the most toxic waste in the environment: nuclear radiation.
After mycelium and mushrooms were found on the walls of the nuclear reactor in 1991, five years after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, the door was opened for research into collaboration with mycoremediation to undo the devastation caused by toxic radiation. Microfungi rich in melanin (the pigment in our skin) have an improbably high resistance to exposure to ionizing radiation. It is these types of fungal species that were recovered from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant after the destruction. Radiotrophic fungi like these use radiation as an energy source for growth. In another example of biosorption, these types of fungi are able to mineralize radionuclides from their environment and incorporate them into their own biomass( 17 ).
However, it would be a disservice to forget that the half-life of the accumulation of radionuclides in fruiting bodies can last 3-8 years based on the most recent estimate( 17 ). Even despite this, we currently have no feasible methods to reverse radioactive destruction, making mycoremediation the hero of the day once again. The potential of fungi to help with the remediation of radioactive zones may be one of the only feasible solutions to a complex environmental puzzle.
Fungal Alternatives to Toxic Consumer Products
We live in a society where we literally insulate our homes with products containing fiberglass, where we bury our dead in coffins that take up to 125 years to decompose, and where our meat production industry produces excessive amounts of greenhouse gas emissions. All these practices cause damage to ourselves and our planet.
However, through mycoremediation techniques, Kingdom Fungi can help us replace these toxic settings and much more. Myco-insulation is an invention that takes advantage of the fact that mycelium has the ability to retain up to 30,000 times its mass while still being incredibly lightweight and insulating ( 23 ).
This has created the potential for living homes, which also fuels the idea that we should not only use nature, but that we could also live in harmonious symbiosis with it. The ability to grow insulation is what will also make the production of buildings in remote areas, such as Mars, possible! The process of creating structures from mycelium is called myco-architecture.
Other objects, such as furniture and even coffins, can be made entirely of mycelium growing on substrates such as sawdust. Living coffins are now being made from mycelium, in the hope of replacing cemeteries and churchyards with beautiful forests made of dead people. Companies like Loop, which build mycelium coffins, emphasize the fact that groundwater reactivates the mycelium, allowing the coffins to become one with nature again within 45 days.
As for the food industry, an abundance of mushroom species can mimic some of the most savory meat-based delicacies we can afford in our daily lives (for example: Lion’s Mane mushroom is a fantastic substitute for crab meat if prepared properly, or try Chicken of the Woods to replace poultry)! Atlast Food Co. is now making a bacon substitute from mycelium. Many meat dishes can use less meat while maintaining an equivalent flavor if mushrooms are used as a substitute ( 53 ).
A study found that supplementing the diet of livestock with the substrate used from the golden needle mushroom (Flammulina velutipes) reduced the amount of CO2 emissions produced ( 52 ).
By reducing the global volume of livestock farming, we can not only reduce CO2 emissions but also support other, more ethical substitutes for animal products. This is the perspective adopted by companies developing leather based on mushroom mycelium.
Mylo is the brand name of fungus-derived vegan leather that is used commercially by fashion brands such as Stella McCarthy, Adidas, and Lululemon. This material not only eliminates the need for livestock farming and toxic tanning chemicals but also reuses forestry waste (to be used as a substrate for the growth of the mycelium) and is produced in minimal time and with few resources. Unlike typical leather substitute materials made of plastic, Mylo is ultimately biodegradable.
Antibiotics for humans and for the planet
The human species is so genetically closely related to Kingdom Fungi that a group of 20 eukaryotic microbiologists recently coined an umbrella term, Opisthokonta, to designate the Super-Kingdom of Animalia and fungi. This was prompted by the mutually shared pathogens between the two groups ( 23 ).
Humans and fungi are much more alike than you might think. We both inhale oxygen, exhale carbon dioxide, and are plagued by the same pathogens. This creates room for a world of antibiotic innovation, starting with penicillin, one of the original mycological antibiotic discoveries that was far ahead of its time.
Fungi have lived in forests and areas full of bacteria for a billion years, and they have dominated almost every habitat. There are mushrooms that thrive in the wettest springs, the snowiest winters, and some mushrooms only appear after an area has been devastated by a forest fire, even after having been inactive for hundreds of years. What incredible proof of their resilient and regenerative properties!
Thanks to their power to overcome, they possess extraordinarily intelligent skills to combat bacteria. We humans are capable of using that power to develop new technologies for combating microbes.
This knowledge has led habitat restoration projects to use creative methods, such as stuffing oyster mushroom mycelium into burlap sacks and placing them in water sources infected with E. coli to rid them of the bacteria ( 28 ).
Although the use of fungi for antibacterial purposes is not new, there are still many untapped opportunities to deploy fungi in addressing sources of harmful microbial pollution.
As an interesting side note: other revolutionary medicines have been developed based on the unique medicinal properties of fungi. The immunosuppressive drug Cyclosporine, cholesterol-lowering statins, and the chemotherapeutic agent Taxol are all derived from fungi. Reference List: Mushrooms and What They Break Down
This concise list describes the different types of mushrooms and the types of pollutants they can break down:
Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) – PCBs, PAHs, cadmium, mercury, dioxins, synthetic dyes, E. coli, oil hydrocarbons ( 1,4,23,25,28,32,51 ) Shaggy Mane – Arsenic, cadmium ( 49 )
King oyster – Toxins, Agent Orange ( 49 )
Elm oyster – Dioxins, wood preservatives ( 49 )
Phoenix oyster (Pleurotus pulmonarius) – TNT, cadmium, mercury, copper, cellulose-based radioactive waste ( 49 )
Turkey tail oyster (Trametes versicolor) – PAHs, TNT, organophosphates, mercury ( 9, 49 )
Shiitake ( Lentinula edodes) – PAH, PCB, PCP, 2,4-dichlorophenol ( 5, 49 )
Knock mushroom ( Agaricus Bisporus, Lactarius piperatus) – Cadmium (II) ions ( 49 )
King Strofaria – E. coli ( 49 )
Southern mussel ( Fomes fasciatus) – Copper (II) ions ( 11 )
Marsh milk ( Calocybe Indica) – Copper, zinc, iron, cadmium, lead, nickel ( 12 )
Enoki ( Flammulina velutipes) – Copper ( 13 )
King tube fungus ( Pleurotus tuber-regium) – heavy metals ( 14 )
Mycoremediation of the environment AND the human body
Mycoremediation has the potential to solve a large number of problems in the world. Fungi are miraculous little creatures with adaptive superpowers. If they can clean up the earth, just imagine what they can do for your body. We are all connected by the fact that we are also nature. With the abundance of ways fungi can help save the planet, just imagine how much they can improve your health and add value to your life.
To get health-supporting benefits from fungi, it is important to choose mushroom supplements that are made in the right way. Specifically, this means taking supplements that contain 100% mushrooms, rather than supplements that contain mycelium or the substrate on which it grows. Mushrooms, also called fruiting bodies, are the places where the highest beta-D-glucan content is found, which is responsible for a whole range of health benefits. At Real Mushrooms, we produce products derived from organic mushrooms, ensuring you have access to the highest possible quality supplements. You can view the selection of Real Mushrooms supplements here.
For more information on the benefits of mushrooms for the human body, we recommend reading the article 7 Health Benefits of Medicinal Mushrooms.
For more information on how mushrooms can help the earth through mycoremediation, we recommend consulting the list of sources below.
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5 Tsujiyama S., Muraoka T., Takada N. Biodegradatie van 2,4-dichloorfenol door shiitake-paddenstoel ( Lentinula edodes ) met behulp van vanilline als activator. Biotechnol Lett. 2013;4:1079–1083. doi: 10.1007/s10529-013-1179-5. doi:10.1007/s10529-013-1179-5.
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Take back your own authority, don’t be afraid of all the negativity, don’t be discouraged. Think about all the things you can do to process what comes your way. Above all, detox, both physically and mentally, because: “We are all part of the universe, and consider all the thoughts you send out and receive.”